Professor Philip Morgan

Placing weight on men’s obesity

Can children help their fathers become healthier?

Internationally-renowned obesity expert for men, Professor Philip Morgan, believes so and through a suite of innovative programs he is proving that a family approach to fitness is key to tackling one of the world's major public health epidemics.

The world-first Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids program is one example of the obesity prevention initiatives Professor Morgan has designed that has been proven to help fathers manage their weight, engage children to eat more healthily, be more active and improve the
overall quality of life of families.

"Men are seriously under-represented in weight loss research, which is a major concern considering 70 per cent of Australian males are considered to be overweight or obese," said Professor Morgan.

"Dads initially sign up to our programs to lose a few kilos, thinking that it would also be nice to spend some quality time with their kids participating in some fun physical activities," he said.

"During the program they come to understand the profound influence that their parenting practices, actions, behaviours, and attitudes have on their children – this realisation becomes a driving force behind their motivation to get fit and become more engaged in their children's lives."

The multi-award winning, evidence-based program uses the novel concept of reciprocal reinforcement by encouraging children to act as 'little personal trainers' for their dads in the home. In turn, the fathers are motivated by the importance of role modelling to engage with their children.

"The magic in Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids comes from both the dads and kids working together, motivated to help each other, and in turn changing their own behaviours," said Professor Morgan.

"For example, the children are told it's your job to help Dad eat well, so it's important for you to eat your veggies at the dinner table because these veggies are really important for your Dad and he might copy you.

"Similarly, Dads in the program are shown how influential they can be in getting children to eat veggies by trying them in front of their children. In doing so, both are eating veggies for each other and may not have done it for themselves."

The physical activity sessions are interactive, highly active, fun and focus on elements found in extensive research to be associated with optimal child development outcomes across physical, cognitive and social-emotional domains. This includes fundamental movement skills, health-related fitness-based
activities and rough-and-tumble play. The program also has the added benefit of helping fathers become more involved with all aspects of their children's lives, leading to enhanced social and emotional well-being for their children.

Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids has been tested through University of Newcastle-based trials and evaluated through numerous local community roll-outs across the Upper Hunter and Hunter Valley, and Great Lakes regions in New South Wales, Australia. Resources
are available for communities and organisations anywhere in the world, with many of the messages transcending cultures.

"In general, a father's love for his child, his desire to do his best for that child, and the unique way fathers' play, physically interact and engage with their children; are universal feelings and behaviours that are incorporated and targeted in the program as motivating factors to deliver results
in sustainable lifestyle change."

Tapping into the psyche of men has also been key to the success of Professor Morgan's other key research programs, with Morgan stating that, compared to women, men are reluctant to sign up to weight loss programs.

"The lack of understanding of motivators for weight-loss for men has led to programs that do not account for gender differences in design and delivery, and many men consider them to be unappealing," Professor Morgan said.

"This is concerning, especially since the burden of disease falls disproportionately with men due to greater abdominal fat tissue which greatly increases their cardiovascular disease risk," he said.

"With obesity costing the Australian economy approximately $60 billion per year, there is a real need for evidence-based, realistic, wide-reaching and easily disseminated programs that take into account the male physiological and psychological profile."

Professor Morgan's internationally acclaimed programs help men lose weight but don't outlaw the beer or foods they enjoy or make participants undertake unsustainable exercise regimes.

In the SHED-IT program, weight loss messages are tailored for blokes and delivered in a light hearted manner with the latest research simplified in an understandable and palatable manner. The program also utilises technology
and engages with participants through a DVD, the internet, video messages and SMS.

SHED-IT has been described by the prestigious Annals of Behavioral Medicine journal as "a momentous step toward addressing the long overlooked need to develop behavioural weight control programs that appeal predominantly
to men and have wide reaching potential to impact obesity among the male half of our population."

Professor Morgan's Workplace POWER (Preventing Obesity Without Eating like a Rabbit) is targeted directly towards men and is delivered in the workplace. The program uses a DVD resource or information session, an
interactive website and a number of gender-tailored resources to educate men on how to improve their own lifestyles. Workplace POWER was recognised with an inaugural National Preventative Health Award in 2013 for the best intiative in Workplace Health and Well-being for large workplaces.

"Instead of prescriptive diets to follow – which is likely to turn men off - these programs educate men about embedding physical activity and healthy eating into their day and use language and approaches they understand and relate to," adds Professor Morgan.

"This can range from teaching them how to read food labels to understanding energy balance, overcoming urges and increasing incidental activity."

Well regarded in his field, Professor Morgan has secured grants from the NH&MRC, Australian Research Council Discovery, Australian Research Council Linkage, Heart Foundation, NSW Health and large industry and community grants to help address the growing epidemic.

Watch the video below to hear Professor Morgan's tips on the best ways to make health messages memorable and engaging for staff in workplace programs.

Can children help their fathers become healthier? Internationally-renowned obesity expert for men, Professor Philip Morgan, believes so and through a suite of innovative programs he is proving that a family approach to fitness is key to tackling one of the…

Tailor-made health education

Professor Philip Morgan has a
national icon in his sights: the much-maligned Aussie beer gut. The Co-Director
of the University of Newcastle's Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition,
and 2012 Scopus Young Researcher of the Year, has waged a personal war on
expanding waistlines by designing and delivering a suite of health education programs
that have changed the body shapes and lives of many participants.

By recognising the importance of
tailoring health messages for specific demographic sub-groups, Morgan has
achieved significant success with programs promoting weight loss, healthy
eating and exercise, particularly with high-risk male cohorts that health
educators have traditionally found difficult to reach.

His high-profile programs include the
men's online weight-loss program SHED-IT (Self-Help, Exercise and Diet Using
Information Technology); Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids, which encourages overweight fathers to be healthy role models for
their children; and Workplace POWER (Preventing Obesity Without Eating Like a
Rabbit), which targets overweight male shiftworkers.

"People wrongly accuse men of being
disinterested in weight loss, but if you design customised programs that appeal
to men, it is easy to push the right buttons to engage them and rouse their interest
and motivation," Morgan says.

"By creating programs that specifically
speak to men, that allow them to not give up some of their 'dietary luxuries'
and don't require frequent and potentially time-consuming face-to-face contact,
they respond enthusiastically and achieve great weight-loss outcomes."

Morgan's academic background is in
health and physical education but the Faculty of Education and Arts researcher
has built multidisciplinary expertise that draws from the fields of medicine,
nutrition, psychology, epidemiology and health promotion.

Drawing from his teaching expertise,
he has adopted a 'hands-on' approach to research, from supervising recruitment
to delivering intervention sessions, featuring in DVDs and website blogs and
training community facilitators. He uses the insight gleaned from those
frontline activities to inform his innovative methods and ensure the key
messages of each program remain relevant to their respective audiences.

Children's health and wellbeing is
also a focus for Morgan and his work as part of a wider University of Newcastle
research team evaluating targeted physical activity and healthy eating interventions
in a host of school and community settings has been nationally and
internationally recognised. As a chief investigator he has attracted more than
$4 million in government and external funding from sources including the
Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, NSW
Health, Coal & Allied, Tomago Aluminium, the Department of Education and
Communities and the Heart Foundation.

Over the past six years, Morgan's work in
research, teaching and the community has been recognised with more than 20 major
academic awards, including the Scopus Award, a Young Tall Poppy Award from the Australian Institute of Policy and Science
in 2009 and four national awards for teaching excellence.

Morgan won the Humanities and Social Science category of the
Scopus Awards and is the first University of Newcastle researcher to receive
the accolade. The awards recognise outstanding researchers under the age of 40
in Australasia who have made significant contributions in their areas of
research.

The weight-loss programs Morgan has developed
have matured into ongoing, community-based programs that not only play an
important role in addressing the national obesity epidemic but also make a real
difference to the quality of life of many individuals.

"An underlying
philosophy of all our programs is teaching people how to lose weight in a
sustainable and realistic manner, so we promote the mantra that whatever
changes in your lifestyle you make to lose weight, you need to be prepared to
maintain them for the rest of your life," he says.

"Obesity is a major community health problem in Australia,
which affects 70 per cent of men, 55 per cent of women and 25 per cent of
children and costs the country billions of dollars in direct and indirect
health care costs every year. I am passionate about engaging and educating our
community to address this serious national public health issue and improving
the quality of life of Australians."

Career Summary

Biography

Professor Morgan is a co-director of the University of Newcastle Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition and lecturer in the School of Education. He graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Education (Health and Physical Education) in 1997. He completed his PhD in 2003 which focused on primary school physical education and won both local and national awards. His research program is focused on the impact of school- and community- based interventions to prevent or treat obesity in child, adolescent and adult populations. As a chief investigator he has secured grants of over $4 million from: NH&MRC, ARC Discovery, ARC Linkage, Heart Foundation, NSW Health and Industry community grants. He has developed and led a number of major projects including the national and international award winning Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids program. His work in teaching research and the community has been recognised with national and international awards including 10 university teaching excellence awards (4 national) and five national/international research awards which highlight his career focus on the teaching/research nexus. Professor Morgan also has delivered numerous invited local, state and national presentations related to both his research and teaching.

Research ExpertiseTargeted community-based interventions to prevent and treat obesity in child, adolescent and adult populations. School-based interventions to promote physical activity and healthy eating. Obesity in men. The role of fathers in promoting physical activity and healthy eating to their children. Parenting practices relating to physical activity and healthy eating. Physical education in primary schools. Teaching of fundamental movement skills.

Participant

Year

Title / Rationale

2012

Schools, teachers and physical educationOrganisation: International Congress of Physical Activity and Public Health Conference

2011

The Workplace POWER (Preventing Obesity Without Eating Like a Rabbit) program: A workplace-based weight loss program to improve both health and work-related outcomesOrganisation: 2nd International Life Sciences Institute / Centre for Health Innovation and Partnership

Engaging fathers to improve family health: Translating the âHealthy Dads, Healthy Kidsâ program in a community settingOrganisation: Deakin University, Melbourne

2011

Promoting family health by targeting fathers: Implementing the evidence-based âHealthy Dads, Healthy Kidsâ program in a community settingOrganisation: Asia-Pacific Conference on the Metabolic Syndrome: Meeting the cardio-metabolic challenges of the 21st century

2010

The role of the food environment in influencing childrens consumptionOrganisation: Australian Sports Commission Sites and Sports Forum (Sydney)
Description:

2010

No Guts All Glory: Engaging Men in Weight LossOrganisation: Nutrition Society of Australia, Newcastle.
Description:

2010

Targeted Interventions to prevent and treat obesity in childrenOrganisation: Youth, Sport and Health Research Network Seminar, University of Sydney
Description:

2009

Making Sense of the Obesity Epidemic: Rumours, confusion and hope?Organisation: Australian Sports Commission NSW State Conference
Description:

2009

Research into Practice: Increasing Childrens Involvement in Sport and Physical ActivityOrganisation: Australian Sports Commission AASC NSW State Conference
Description:

2008

The importance of positive childhood sporting experiences for a lifetime of activityOrganisation: Australian Sports Commission Sports Network Breakfast
Description:

2008

Family Wellbeing: Raising Active Children in an Inactive WorldOrganisation: Hunter Medical Research Institute Community Forums
Description:

Aims: The primary aim was to describe characteristics of men identified at high-risk for Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using the Australian diabetes risk assessment (AUSDRISK) t... [more]

Aims: The primary aim was to describe characteristics of men identified at high-risk for Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using the Australian diabetes risk assessment (AUSDRISK) tool. Secondary aims were to determine the prevalence of pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome in these men. Methods: Men (n = 209) completed the AUSDRISK tool, with 165 identified as high-risk for T2DM (score = 12, maximum 38). Demographic, anthropometric, physiological and behavioural outcomes were assessed for 101 men. Comparisons (one-way ANOVA) among three AUSDRISK score groups (12-15, 16-19, = 20) were performed (significance level, P < 0.05). Results: Common risk factors (percentages) among high-risk men were waist circumference (>90cm; 93%), age (>44 years; 79%), physical activity level (<150minwk-1; 59%), family history of diabetes (39%) and previously high blood glucose levels (32%). Men with AUSDRISK scores =20 had higher (meanÂ±SD) HbA1C (6.0Â±0.4% [42Â±4.4mmol.mol-1], P<0.001), FPG (5.3Â±0.6mmol.L-1, P=0.001) and waist circumference (113.2Â±9.8cm, P=0.026) than men with scores of 12-15. Mean FPG for the sample was 5.0Â±0.6mmol.L-1, whereas mean HbA1C was 5.8Â±0.5% [40Â±5.5mmol.mol-1]. Pre-diabetes prevalence was 70% and metabolic syndrome prevalence was 62%. Conclusions: The AUSDRISK tool identified men who were mostly older than 44, and had large waist circumferences and elevated HbA1C. These findings provide evidence supporting the usefulness of the AUSDRISK screening tool for T2DM screening in clinical and research settings.

Purpose: Physical activity (PA) declines dramatically during adolescence, and activity levels are consistently lower among children living in low-income communities. Competency in... [more]

Purpose: Physical activity (PA) declines dramatically during adolescence, and activity levels are consistently lower among children living in low-income communities. Competency in a range of fundamental movement skills (FMS) may serve as a protective factor against the decline in PA typically observed during adolescence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a 12-month multicomponent PA and FMS intervention on children attending primary schools in low-income communities. Methods: The Supporting Children's Outcomes using Rewards, Exercise, and Skills intervention was evaluated using a cluster randomized controlled trial. The sample included 25 classes from eight primary schools located in low-income communities. Participants were 460 children (54.1% girls) age 8.5 T 0.6 yr. Primary outcomes were objectively measured PA (ActiGraph GT3X and GT3X+ accelerometers), FMS competency (Test of Gross Motor Development 2, six locomotor and six object control skills), and cardiorespiratory fitness (20-m multistage fitness test) assessed at baseline, midprogram (6-months), and at posttest (12 months). Linear mixed models, adjusted for sex, age, body mass index z-score, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and school class as a random factor, were used to assess the effect of the intervention. Results: At midprogram, there were no significant intervention effects for any of the outcomes. At posttest (study's primary time point), there were intervention effects for daily moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) (adjusted mean difference, 12.7 minIdj1 of MVPA; 95% confidence interval (CI), 5.0-20.5), overall FMS competency (4.9 units; 95% CI, -0.04 to 9.8), and cardiorespiratory fitness (5.4 laps; 95% CI, 2.3-8.6). Conclusions: A school-based multicomponent PA and FMS intervention maintained daily MVPA, improved overall FMS competency, and increased cardiorespiratory fitness among children attending primary schools in low-income communities.

Numerous studies have identified a positive association between fundamental movement skill (FMS) competency and physical activity in children; however, the causal pathways have no... [more]

Numerous studies have identified a positive association between fundamental movement skill (FMS) competency and physical activity in children; however, the causal pathways have not been established. The aim of this study is to determine if changes in FMS competency mediated the effect of the Supporting ChildrenÂ¿s Outcomes using Rewards, Exercise and Skills (SCORES) intervention on physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness in children. Eight primary schools (25 classes) and 460 children (aged 8.5Â¿Â±Â¿0.6, 54% girls) were randomised to the SCORES intervention or control group for the 12-month study. The outcomes were accelerometer-determined moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and cardiorespiratory fitness. The hypothesised mediators were actual FMS competency and perceived sport competence. Mediation analyses were conducted using multilevel linear analysis in MPlus. From the original sample, 138 (30.0%) and 370 (80.4%) children provided useable physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness data at post-test assessments. There were significant treatment effects for locomotor skills and overall FMSs. Changes in MVPA were associated with changes in object-control skills, overall FMSs and perceived competence. The overall FMSs had a significant mediating effect on MVPA (ABÂ¿=Â¿2.09, CIÂ¿=Â¿0.01Â¿4.55). Overall FMSs (ABÂ¿=Â¿1.19, CIÂ¿=Â¿0.002Â¿2.79) and locomotor skills (ABÂ¿=Â¿0.74, CIÂ¿=Â¿0.01Â¿1.69) had a significant mediating effect on cardiorespiratory fitness. The results of this study conclude that actual but not perceived movement skill competency mediated the effect of the SCORES intervention on physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness.

A systematic review of randomized controlled trials was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of eHealth interventions for the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity... [more]

A systematic review of randomized controlled trials was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of eHealth interventions for the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults. Eight databases were searched for studies published in English from 1995 to 17September 2014. Eighty-four studies were included, with 183 intervention arms, of which 76% (n=139) included an eHealth component. Sixty-one studies had the primary aim of weight loss, 10 weight loss maintenance, eight weight gain prevention, and five weight loss and maintenance. eHealth interventions were predominantly delivered using the Internet, but also email, text messages, monitoring devices, mobile applications, computer programs, podcasts and personal digital assistants. Forty percent (n=55) of interventions used more than one type of technology, and 43.2% (n=60) were delivered solely using eHealth technologies. Meta-analyses demonstrated significantly greater weight loss (kg) in eHealth weight loss interventions compared with control (MD -2.70 [-3.33,-2.08], P<0.001) or minimal interventions (MD -1.40 [-1.98,-0.82], P<0.001), and in eHealth weight loss interventions with extra components or technologies (MD 1.46 [0.80, 2.13], P<0.001) compared with standard eHealth programmes. The findings support the use of eHealth interventions as a treatment option for obesity, but there is insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of eHealth interventions for weight loss maintenance or weight gain prevention.

Background: Little is known about which behavioral strategies are most important to target in weight loss interventions for men. Purpose: The aim of the current study was to ident... [more]

Background: Little is known about which behavioral strategies are most important to target in weight loss interventions for men. Purpose: The aim of the current study was to identify behavioral mediators of weight loss in the male-only Self-Help, Exercise, and Diet using Information Technology (SHED-IT) community weight loss study. Methods: A randomized controlled trial with 159 overweight/obese men [mean (SD) age = 47.5 (11.0) years; body mass index = 32.7 (3.5) kg/m2] assessed at baseline, 3Â¿months (post-test) and 6Â¿months (follow-up). Results: In an intention-to-treat, multiple-mediator model, the significant intervention effect on weight at 6Â¿months (-3.70Â¿kg; p < 0.001) was mediated by increases in physical activity (steps/day) and decreases in takeaway meals (kJ/day) and portion size at 3Â¿months. The largest mediation effect was for physical activity (-0.6Â¿kg; 95Â¿% confidence interval -1.4, -0.1). Overall, the targeted mediators accounted for 47.0Â¿% of the interventionÂ¿s effect on weight. Conclusion: Step counts, takeaway food consumption, and portion sizes may be key areas to target in future weight loss programs for men (ACTRN12610000699066).

Introduction: Excessive recreational screen time (i.e., screen use for entertainment) is a global public health issue associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes. ... [more]

Introduction: Excessive recreational screen time (i.e., screen use for entertainment) is a global public health issue associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Considering the growing popularity of screen-based recreation in adolescents, there is a need to identify effective strategies for reducing screen time among adolescents. The aim of this paper is to report the rationale and study protocol for the 'Switch-off 4 Healthy Minds' (S4HM) study, an intervention designed to reduce recreational screen time among adolescents. Methods: The S4HM intervention will be evaluated using a cluster randomized controlled trial in eight secondary schools (. N=. 322 students) in New South Wales, Australia. The 6-month multi-component intervention will encourage adolescents to manage their recreational screen time using a range of evidence-based strategies. The intervention is grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and includes the following components: an interactive seminar for students, eHealth messaging, behavioral contract and parental newsletters. All outcomes will be assessed at baseline and at 6-months (i.e., immediate post-test). The primary outcome is recreational screen time measured by the Adolescent Sedentary Activity Questionnaire (ASAQ). Secondary outcomes include: self-reported psychological well-being, psychological distress, global physical self-concept, resilience, pathological video gaming and aggression, and objectively measured physical activity (accelerometry) and body mass index (BMI). Hypothesized mediators of behavior change will also be explored. Discussion: The S4HM study will involve the evaluation of an innovative, theory-driven, multi-component intervention that targets students and their parents and is designed to reduce recreational screen time in adolescents. The intervention has been designed for scalability and dissemination across Australian secondary schools.

Summary: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of eHealth interventions for the prevention and treatment of overweight an... [more]

Summary: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of eHealth interventions for the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults. Eight databases were searched for studies published in English from 1995 to 17September 2014. Eighty-four studies were included, with 183 intervention arms, of which 76% (n=139) included an eHealth component. Sixty-one studies had the primary aim of weight loss, 10 weight loss maintenance, eight weight gain prevention, and five weight loss and maintenance. eHealth interventions were predominantly delivered using the Internet, but also email, text messages, monitoring devices, mobile applications, computer programs, podcasts and personal digital assistants. Forty percent (n=55) of interventions used more than one type of technology, and 43.2% (n=60) were delivered solely using eHealth technologies. Meta-analyses demonstrated significantly greater weight loss (kg) in eHealth weight loss interventions compared with control (MD -2.70 [-3.33,-2.08], P<0.001) or minimal interventions (MD -1.40 [-1.98,-0.82], P<0.001), and in eHealth weight loss interventions with extra components or technologies (MD 1.46 [0.80, 2.13], P<0.001) compared with standard eHealth programmes. The findings support the use of eHealth interventions as a treatment option for obesity, but there is insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of eHealth interventions for weight loss maintenance or weight gain prevention.

A systematic review of randomized controlled trials was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of eHealth interventions for the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity... [more]

A systematic review of randomized controlled trials was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of eHealth interventions for the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults. Eight databases were searched for studies published in English from 1995 to 17September 2014. Eighty-four studies were included, with 183 intervention arms, of which 76% (n=139) included an eHealth component. Sixty-one studies had the primary aim of weight loss, 10 weight loss maintenance, eight weight gain prevention, and five weight loss and maintenance. eHealth interventions were predominantly delivered using the Internet, but also email, text messages, monitoring devices, mobile applications, computer programs, podcasts and personal digital assistants. Forty percent (n=55) of interventions used more than one type of technology, and 43.2% (n=60) were delivered solely using eHealth technologies. Meta-analyses demonstrated significantly greater weight loss (kg) in eHealth weight loss interventions compared with control (MD -2.70 [-3.33,-2.08], P<0.001) or minimal interventions (MD -1.40 [-1.98,-0.82], P<0.001), and in eHealth weight loss interventions with extra components or technologies (MD 1.46 [0.80, 2.13], P<0.001) compared with standard eHealth programmes. The findings support the use of eHealth interventions as a treatment option for obesity, but there is insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of eHealth interventions for weight loss maintenance or weight gain prevention.

Objective: To examine young Australian womenÂ¿s weight expectations, motivations for weight change and perceived factors influencing weight management, and to determine if these f... [more]

Objective: To examine young Australian womenÂ¿s weight expectations, motivations for weight change and perceived factors influencing weight management, and to determine if these factors differ by age, BMI, marital status, education or income. Design: Cross-sectional study. An online survey captured respondentsÂ¿ weight, height, ideal weight, main reasons for wanting to change their weight and challenges to managing their weight. Setting: Online survey in Australia. Subjects: Six hundred and twenty women aged 18Â¿30 years currently living in Australia who completed the survey between 31 July and 30 September 2012. Results: Approximately half of participants (53Â·1 %) were a healthy weight, 25Â·2 % overweight and 19Â·0 % obese. Women unhappy at their current weight (78Â·1 %) reported a median ideal weight -12Â·3 % less than their current weight. The key motivators for weight change were to improve health (24Â·4 %, ranked 1), feel better in oneself (22Â·3 %) and improve self-confidence (21Â·5 %). Lack of motivation, time constraints because of job commitments and cost were the most commonly reported factors influencing weight management. Age, BMI, marital status, education and income were found to influence weight expectations, motivations for weight change and/or factors perceived to influence weight management. Conclusions: The findings suggest potential implications for weight management interventions and public health messaging targeting young women, to improve long-term health outcomes. Strategies that promote the health benefits of physical activity and healthy eating, feeling better about oneself and improved self-confidence, and address the main factors influencing weight management including lack of motivation, time constraints and cost, may be used to engage this target group.

Background: There is a lack of understanding of young men's perspectives in obesity-related research. This study aims to: (1) identify young men's perceived motivators and barrier... [more]

Background: There is a lack of understanding of young men's perspectives in obesity-related research. This study aims to: (1) identify young men's perceived motivators and barriers in adopting healthy eating and physical activity behaviours, and (2) explore any differences in responses by weight status categories. Methods: Ten focus groups (32-63 minutes; 3-9 participants per group) were conducted with 61 young men (BMI: 25.3Â±5.1kg/m2, aged: 18-25 years) from the Hunter region, New South Wales, Australia. There were 35 (57.4%) healthy weight men and 26 (42.6%) overweight/ obese men. Three groups were with healthy weight participants, three with overweight/obese participants and four with mixed-BMI participants. Sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data analysis was conducted by an independent researcher using NVIVO10. Results: Motivators for healthy eating grouped into four themes: physical health (e.g. to live longer), sport or performance (e.g. to support their sporting goals), physical appearance (e.g. sexual attractiveness) and social influences (e.g. societal expectations to eat healthy), while key motivators for physical activity were: physical appearance (e.g. sexual attractiveness), social inclusion (e.g. making friends), physical and mental health (e.g. relieve stress) and improvements for sport or performance (e.g. improve fitness). Themes for key barriers to eating healthy were: intrinsic (e.g. perceived effort to adopt healthy eating), logistic (e.g. cost), and social factors (e.g. peer influence), while busy lifestyles (e.g. lack of time), logistic (e.g. cost), cognitive-emotional (e.g. feelings of inferiority) and social factors (e.g. family upbringing) were key barriers for physical activity. Responses varied little by BMI status. Conclusion: This research emphasises the importance of consulting young men when developing healthy lifestyle programs that aim to promote healthy eating and physical activity in young men. Future research is needed to identify the most effective ways to address their motivators and barriers in intervention research.

Background: There is a lack of understanding of young men's perspectives in obesity-related research. This study aims to: (1) identify young men's perceived motivators and barrier... [more]

Background: There is a lack of understanding of young men's perspectives in obesity-related research. This study aims to: (1) identify young men's perceived motivators and barriers in adopting healthy eating and physical activity behaviours, and (2) explore any differences in responses by weight status categories. Methods: Ten focus groups (32-63 minutes; 3-9 participants per group) were conducted with 61 young men (BMI: 25.3 Â± 5.1 kg/m2, aged: 18-25 years) from the Hunter region, New South Wales, Australia. There were 35 (57.4 %) healthy weight men and 26 (42.6 %) overweight/ obese men. Three groups were with healthy weight participants, three with overweight/obese participants and four with mixed-BMI participants. Sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data analysis was conducted by an independent researcher using NVIVO10. Results: Motivators for healthy eating grouped into four themes: physical health (e.g. to live longer), sport or performance (e.g. to support their sporting goals), physical appearance (e.g. sexual attractiveness) and social influences (e.g. societal expectations to eat healthy), while key motivators for physical activity were: physical appearance (e.g. sexual attractiveness), social inclusion (e.g. making friends), physical and mental health (e.g. relieve stress) and improvements for sport or performance (e.g. improve fitness). Themes for key barriers to eating healthy were: intrinsic (e.g. perceived effort to adopt healthy eating), logistic (e.g. cost), and social factors (e.g. peer influence), while busy lifestyles (e.g. lack of time), logistic (e.g. cost), cognitive-emotional (e.g. feelings of inferiority) and social factors (e.g. family upbringing) were key barriers for physical activity. Responses varied little by BMI status. Conclusion: This research emphasises the importance of consulting young men when developing healthy lifestyle programs that aim to promote healthy eating and physical activity in young men. Future research is needed to identify the most effective ways to address their motivators and barriers in intervention research.

Background: Technical and Further Education (TAFE) colleges are the primary provider of vocational education in Australia. Most TAFE students are young adults, a period when healt... [more]

Background: Technical and Further Education (TAFE) colleges are the primary provider of vocational education in Australia. Most TAFE students are young adults, a period when health risk behaviours become established. Furthermore, high rates of smoking, risky alcohol consumption, inadequate fruit and vegetable intake and insufficient physical activity have been reported in TAFE students. There have been no intervention studies targeting multiple health risk behaviours simultaneously in this population. The proposed trial will examine the effectiveness of providing TAFE students with electronic feedback regarding health risk behaviours and referral to a suite of existing online and telephone services addressing smoking, risky alcohol consumption, fruit and vegetable intake, and physical activity levels. Methods/Design: A two arm, parallel, cluster randomised trial will be conducted within TAFE campuses in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. TAFE classes will be randomly allocated to an intervention or control condition (50 classes per condition). To be eligible, students must be: enrolled in a course that runs for more than 6 months; aged 16 years or older; and not meet Australian health guideline recommendations for at least one of the following: smoking, alcohol consumption, fruit and/or vegetable intake, or physical activity. Students attending intervention classes, will undertake via a computer tablet a risk assessment for health risk behaviours, and for behaviours not meeting Australian guidelines be provided with electronic feedback about these behaviours and referral to evidence-based online programs and telephone services. Students in control classes will not receive any intervention. Primary outcome measures that will be assessed via online surveys at baseline and 6 months post-recruitment are: 1) daily tobacco smoking; 2) standard drinks of alcohol consumed per week; 3) serves of fruit consumed daily; 4) serves of vegetables consumed daily; and 5) metabolic equivalent minutes of physical activity per week. Discussion: Proactive enrolment to existing online and telephone services has the potential to address modifiable determinants of disease. This trial will be the first to examine a potentially scalable intervention targeting multiple health risk behaviours among students in the vocational training setting.

Background: Obese men are more likely to have poor dietary patterns compared to women, increasing diet-related chronic disease risk. The impact of a male-only weight loss interven... [more]

Background: Obese men are more likely to have poor dietary patterns compared to women, increasing diet-related chronic disease risk. The impact of a male-only weight loss intervention on dietary intakes is under-evaluated. The aim was to deter-mine whether overweight/obese men randomised to self-help paper-based resources with or without online support, achieved greater improvements in diet compared with Wait-list controls at 3 and 6 months following a gender tailored weight-loss intervention.

Youth participation in organised sport and physical activity is important for healthy development, growth and wellbeing. In 2014, Active Healthy Kids Australia released its inaugu... [more]

Youth participation in organised sport and physical activity is important for healthy development, growth and wellbeing. In 2014, Active Healthy Kids Australia released its inaugural Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Young People, which synthesised the best available national- and state-level data for children and young people (<18 years). This paper provides a more detailed examination of the evidence informing the grade for Organised Sport from the 2014 Report Card, compares Australia's Organised Sport grade with other countries, identifies future directions for research and surveillance, and explores possible beneficial strategies. The Report Card highlighted that between 64% and 85% of Australians aged 5-17 years participate in organised sports, a rate higher than alternate forms of physical activity such as active transportation, active play and school based physical activity. This finding reflects Australia's position as one of the global leaders for participating in organised sport. Future research and surveillance methodologies however, need to incorporate standardised metrics that aim to capture more detailed data regarding organised sport participation. Facilitating access for all children and preventing dropout from organised sports are important initiatives to improve current levels of sport participation. However, given that 80% of Australians aged 5-17 years are not sufficiently physically active to achieve the daily recommendation, participation in sport alone is not enough to ensure that children can accrue the health benefits associated with being physically active. As such, there is a pressing need to develop strategies that engage children in other forms of physical activity such as active transportation and active play.

Pediatric obesity continues to be a major public health concern. Once established it is difficult to treat, therefore well-designed and evaluated prevention interventions are vita... [more]

Pediatric obesity continues to be a major public health concern. Once established it is difficult to treat, therefore well-designed and evaluated prevention interventions are vitally important. Schools have an important role in the prevention of childhood obesity, however, their involvement can be limited by a number of constraints and barriers, which need to be considered when designing interventions. Members of the Prevention Stream of the Australasian Child and Adolescent Obesity Research Network have extensive experience in implementing and evaluating school-based obesity prevention initiatives. Based on their collective experience and evidence from implementation research, the aim of this paper was to highlight six areas to consider when designing, implementing and evaluating obesity prevention initiatives in schools. Further, this paper aimed to provide guidance for overcoming some of the challenges and barriers faced in school-based obesity prevention research. The six key areas discussed include: design and analysis; school-community engagement; planning and recruitment; evaluation; implementation; and feedback and sustainability.

The primary aim of this study was to examine the association between the types of video games played by adolescent boys and their participation in physical activity and recreation... [more]

The primary aim of this study was to examine the association between the types of video games played by adolescent boys and their participation in physical activity and recreational screen-time. Participants were 320 boys (mean age=12.7, Â±0.5 years) from 14 secondary schools located in low-income areas of New South Wales, Australia. Outcomes included height, weight, physical activity (accelerometers), total screen-time, and video game genre preference. Significant differences in both weekday and weekend screen-time were found between video game genre groups. In addition, significant differences in overall activity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were found between genre groups on weekdays. Between-group differences in physical activity on weekends were not statistically significant. This cross-sectional study has demonstrated that video game genre preference is associated with physical activity and screen-time in adolescent boys from low-income communities.

Aims: The primary aim was to describe characteristics of men identified at high-risk for Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using the Australian diabetes risk assessment (AUSDRISK) t... [more]

Aims: The primary aim was to describe characteristics of men identified at high-risk for Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using the Australian diabetes risk assessment (AUSDRISK) tool. Secondary aims were to determine the prevalence of pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome in these men. Methods: Men (n = 209) completed the AUSDRISK tool, with 165 identified as high-risk for T2DM (score =. 12, maximum 38). Demographic, anthropometric, physiological and behavioural outcomes were assessed for 101 men. Comparisons (one-way ANOVA) among three AUSDRISK score groups (12-15, 16-19, =. 20) were performed (significance level, P 90cm; 93%), age (>44 years; 79%), physical activity level (<150minwk-1; 59%), family history of diabetes (39%) and previously high blood glucose levels (32%). Men with AUSDRISK scores =20 had higher (meanÂ±SD) HbA1C (6.0Â±0.4% [42Â±4.4mmol.mol-1], P <0.001), FPG (5.3Â±0.6mmol.L-1, P =0.001) and waist circumference (113.2Â±9.8cm, P =0.026) than men with scores of 12-15. Mean FPG for the sample was 5.0Â±0.6mmol.L-1, whereas mean HbA1C was 5.8Â±0.5% [40Â±5.5mmol.mol-1]. Pre-diabetes prevalence was 70% and metabolic syndrome prevalence was 62%. Conclusions: The AUSDRISK tool identified men who were mostly older than 44, and had large waist circumferences and elevated HbA1C. These findings provide evidence supporting the usefulness of the AUSDRISK screening tool for T2DM screening in clinical and research settings.

This review investigated three research questions (i) What is the utility of social cognitive theory (SCT) to explain physical activity (PA)?; (ii) Is the effectiveness of SCT mod... [more]

This review investigated three research questions (i) What is the utility of social cognitive theory (SCT) to explain physical activity (PA)?; (ii) Is the effectiveness of SCT moderated by sample or methodological characteristics? and (iii) What is the frequency of significant associations between the core SCT constructs and PA? Ten electronic databases were searched with no date or sample restrictions. Forty-four studies were retrieved containing 55 SCT models of PA. Methodological quality was assessed using a standardized tool. A random-effects meta-analysis revealed that SCT accounted for 31% of the variance in PA. However, methodological quality was mostly poor for these models. Methodological quality and sample age moderated the PA effect size, with increases in both associated with greater variance explained. Although self-efficacy and goals were consistently associated with PA, outcome expectations and socio-structural factors were not. This review determined that SCT is a useful framework to explain PA behaviour. Higher quality models explained more PA variance, but overall methodological quality was poor. As such, high-quality studies examining the utility of SCT to explain PA are warranted.

Background: Obese men are more likely to have poor dietary patterns compared to women, increasing diet-related chronic disease risk. The impact of a male-only weight loss interven... [more]

Background: Obese men are more likely to have poor dietary patterns compared to women, increasing diet-related chronic disease risk. The impact of a male-only weight loss intervention on dietary intakes is under-evaluated. The aim was to deter-mine whether overweight/obese men randomised to self-help paper-based resources with or without online support, achieved greater improvements in diet compared with Wait-list controls at 3 and 6 months following a gender tailored weight-loss intervention.

Objectives: Physical education (PE) plays an important role in contributing to students' physical activity (PA); however, moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) within PE is lower than re... [more]

Objectives: Physical education (PE) plays an important role in contributing to students' physical activity (PA); however, moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) within PE is lower than recommended. Little is known about the PA levels of students from disadvantaged schools within PE. This study aimed to describe: (i) the PA levels of students from disadvantaged secondary schools during PE lessons, (ii) the lesson context and teacher interactions occurring during PE, and (iii) the associations between teacher, school or PE lesson characteristics with student physical activity levels in PE.: Design: Cross-sectional study of 100 Grade 7 PE lessons across 10 secondary schools.: Methods: System for observing fitness instruction time (SOFIT) was used to assess student PA, lesson context, and teacher interaction. Teacher and school characteristics were collected via survey. Mean proportion of lesson time was used to describe PA, lesson context and teacher interaction. Associations between each outcome variable and each characteristic were examined using 2-sample t-tests, ANOVAs and linear regression.: Results: Thirty-nine percent of PE lesson was spent in MVPA, and less than 10% spent in VA. Lessons in schools in urban areas included significantly more MVPA than rural areas (P = 0.04). Male teachers and more experienced teachers conducted lessons with significantly more VA than female and less experienced teachers (P = 0.04 and 0.02). MVPA was also higher in lessons conducted by more experienced teachers.: Conclusion: PA during PE lessons within disadvantaged secondary schools is below international recommendations. Male teachers, more experienced teachers and schools in urban regions teach more active lessons.

Bray JF, Burrows TL, Collins CE, Morgan PJ, 'Evaluation of a theory-based, after-school cooking club for children and their families living in a socio-economically disadvantaged community', 2011 Annual Meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) eProceedings, Melbourne, VIC (2011) [E3]

Riley N, Morgan PJ, Lubans DR, 'Rationale and intervention description of a primary school-based program to integrate physical activity across the curriculum and engage children in movement-based learning', Obesity Research and Clinical Practice, Sydney, NSW (2010) [E3]

Research Supervision

Current Supervision

Commenced

Research Title / Program / Supervisor Type

2015

Creating and Implementing a Physical Activity Intervention Created by Teenage Girls for Teenage Girls - Listening for and Reliably Delivering that Which Makes a Difference in Causing Adolescent Girls to Engage in Physical ActivityCurriculum & Education Studies, Faculty of Education and ArtsCo-Supervisor

Can young men change their lifestyle? A novel way to improve health.Nutrition & Dietetics, Faculty of Health and MedicineCo-Supervisor

2011

The Feasibility and Efficacy of the Type 2 Diabetes PULSE (Prevention Using LifeStyle Education) Randomised Controlled Trial: a Self-Administered, Gender-Tailored, Multi-Component Lifestyle Intervention for Men at High-risk for Type 2 DiabetesHuman Biology, Faculty of Health and MedicineCo-Supervisor

2011

Development and Evaluation of a Primary School-Based Program to Integrate Physical Activity Across the Curriculum: the E.A.S.Y Minds ProgramCurriculum & Education Studies, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

2009

A Family-Based Approach to Increasing Physical Activity in ChildrenBehavioural Science, Faculty of Health and MedicineCo-Supervisor

The Impact of the 'Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids' Program for Overweight Fathers and Their Children on Lifestyle-related ParentingCurriculum & Education Studies, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

2015

A Causal Analysis of the Relationship Between Teacher Job Satisfaction and Student AchievementCurriculum & Education Studies, Faculty of Education and ArtsCo-Supervisor

Feasibility of the 'Girls Recreational Activity Support Program using Information Technology' (GRASP-IT) Pilot Study: A Randomised Controlled Trial to Increase Physical Activity Among Older Adolescent Girls using a Social Networking WebsiteCurriculum & Education Studies, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

2011

Innovative Approaches to Treat Overweight and Obesity in Adults: An Investigation of a Commercial Web-based Weight Loss ProgramNutrition & Dietetics, Faculty of Health and MedicineCo-Supervisor

2008

Does FMS proficiency as a child influence physical activity as an adolescent?: The Physical Activity and Skills Study (PASS) Education Not Elswr Classified, University of SydneyCo-Supervisor

Research Collaborations

The map is a representation of a researchers co-authorship with collaborators across the globe. The map displays the number of publications against a country, where there is at least one co-author based in that country. Data is sourced from the University of Newcastle research publication management system (NURO) and may not fully represent the authors complete body of work.

University of Newcastle (UON) Professor Philip Morgan's highly successful obesity prevention program Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids (HDHKTM) has received global recognition for excellence and leadership in promoting health and well-being in the community.

An internationally-recognised
University of Newcastle weight loss program tailored specifically for men has
produced a benefit that is likely to be a powerful motivator to shed the excess
kilos – improved erectile function.